Cycling to Berlin for Velothon advice

L'Enfer du Nord

At least one friend and and I have a tentative plan to cycle to Berlin from Gatwick/Brighton and then do the Berlin Velthon on 9 June:

http://www.garmin-velothon-berlin.de

here our rough proposed route

http://goo.gl/maps/SP9Sy

We plan to leave fly to the UK 2 weeks before the Race and hopefully arrive a couple of days before the race - which works out at about 120 km per day.

So I've cycled far further lots of times of also cycled say 300-400 km touring over a week, but I never done 100+ km every day for over a week. Any advice? Should we try to stick to roughly the same distance very day, or should we vary long days with easier days?

Also from experience on one cycling holiday I did 4 hard days (for me at the time!) then a very easy day of c. 20 km down hill - essentially a rest day. The next day (a hilly 75 km) was one of the worst days I've ever had on the bike - literally no energy. Is this a common phenomenon in multi-day cycling the body thinking the ordeal is over and going to some kind of recover mode.

Thanks

cdaly_

I'd say take a couple of complete rest days within the voyage. Maybe go 3 days on, 1 day off or similar. Varying the distance is probably no harm, particularly if there are suitable stopping points. To my eye, 120k per day over 10 days looks pretty ambitious particularly if you're planning to race at the end of it.

Tonyandthewhale

I'd usually aim for one day off every week to 10 days while doing 80-120km a day.

L'Enfer du Nord

Thanks for the replies. When I say 'race' I mean complete the velothon faster than the broomwagon i.e. 120km at 25 kpm/h. A rest day midway through the trip would probably be the way to go. Would some really long days e.g. 200 km be a bad idea?

I realise cycling 1250 km plus in ten days then doing the veloton is 'a big ask' but I suppose I'm looking for a challenge which is though but not impossible.

cdaly_

200k in a day is not too hard if you take it leisurely. Expect 8-10 hours on the road (or in the saddle). Check out a few audax spins coming up in the next few months to get an idea of the task.

Ole Rodrigo

Are you bringing your own gear ? How much ? This can effect your speed and how much distance you will cover in a day. As cdaly_ says, 200 km isn't too bad on a flatish route, but throw in bad weather and hills and you might not feel like getting up the following day for the same again. You'll also need more food breaks, adding to the overall time taken. It really depends on how you divide up the route as to whether a 200km day is a good idea or not.

The next day (a hilly 75 km) was one of the worst days I've ever had on the bike - literally no energy. Is this a common phenomenon in multi-day cycling the body thinking the ordeal is over and going to some kind of recover mode.

Possibly just fatigue, or maybe not eating for recovery the previous days? Or perhaps a lack of preparation. Time in the saddle counts most here, I think ( e.g, can you spend 6 to 10 hours per day in the saddle comfortably ), after that fitness will determine how fast you go. As TonyATW says, 6 days of 120 km per day should be fine ( assuming you're not carrying the kitchen sink on standard gearing ).